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Thursday, December 10, 2015

2nd Enhanced Naval Boarding Party Class Graduates

Sailors in the new Enhanced Naval Boarding Party (ENBP) program had one final test to complete before graduating October 29, 2015. In order to receive their Maritime Technical Operator Course certificate, each of the eight graduates was required to secure Canadian Forces Base Esquimalt, B.C., Dockyard’s Alpha Jetty. After arriving from their Albert Head training facility aboard rigid-hulled inflatable boats, the team, dressed in full fighting order, scaled the side of the dock, fanned out, did a comprehensive sweep, and then gave the all clear sign.

Afterwards was the graduation ceremony. “You are the sharp end of the spear as it pertains to boarding capabilities,” said Captain (Navy) David Mazur of Maritime Forces Pacific Headquarters. “The momentum surrounding the program is going to build in the next few years, and you are all in on the ground floor of this new program.”

The first class of 13 ENBP recruits graduated in April 2015. The graduation of this second group further advances the first phase of the Future Naval Boarding Party Capability Development outlined in the Royal Canadian Navy’s executive plan. The plan is to produce a pool of 70 to 100 ENBP graduates over the next few years.

“They are specialists, not generalists, and require an increasingly complex and high level of training to be qualified to do this job. They are better trained to deal with uncertain or chaotic situations that they may deal with in their deployments,” said Lieutenant-Commander Wilfred Lund, Officer Commanding the Maritime Tactical Operations Group (MTOG).

“There is a lot of work that goes into everything we have learned,” said Leading Seaman Brandon Smith. “While it only took about 15 minutes to secure the jetty, there was a great deal of behind-the-scenes preparation required in advance. Two or three days of planning was needed to complete this task and really opened my eyes to what is required for our new job.”

Chief Petty Officer 2nd Class Brent Bethell, a member of the MTOG, added: “The ENBP capability will provide the navy, and the Canadian Armed Forces as a whole, the required agility, flexibility and tactical expertise to confront and deter threats in high-risk operational environments.”